This is one of the first M/M romances I've read. I'm pretty ashamed of that fact. But I am making a conscious effort to be more diverse with my reading choices. And I'm also slowly trying to give NA more of a go. Unfortunately, sometimes I can be judgey and after I read a NA that I really disliked, I kinda just decided to hate on the entire genre for a while there. But anyway. On to my thoughts.

I really, really liked this. It was sweet, it was sad, it was romantic and I loved Graham and Rikker. I thought Sarina Bowen really captured how difficult struggling with your sexuality can be. Poor Graham - even though he frustrated me at times, I really felt for him. He'd denied who he was to himself for so long and having Rikker back in his life brought all that back up to the surface and he couldn't escape it.

It makes me so sad that there are people out there scared of who they are because of homophobic arseholes. They're really nothing but frustrating, narrow-minded fuckwits. It shouldn't matter who you're attracted to. Why does 'coming out' even have to be a thing? It shouldn't be. Ugh.

There was a lot of sex... YAY, sex! I really liked it when Graham snapped and jumped Rikker. It was the start of him being unable to deny his feelings anymore and I was all 'AAWWW' like the big old softie that I am, deep deep down, under all the cynicism.

Probably my fave of the Ivy Years trilogy, I'd say. Quite a few quotes I like too, like this one right here.

"Until now, I’d failed Rikker at every opportunity. But not today. His grandmother had said that her years with him were a joy. She was practically bursting with pride for him. I could do that, too. I could stand here, claiming him as someone who mattered to me. It was really the least I could do.''

Anyway. If you're reading this, you should now go read this book, okay? Well, if you're into romance, that is. I guess. Look, just read it anyway.